A drug testing story

[Skysoldier]

This story is for all my Vietnam Veteran brothers....because you will know what I mean.

I was reminded of this story today, because my boss mentioned something about changing insurance carriers, and told me they might require drug testing of all employees.

He asked me if "I would have a problem with it?"

I looked at him and asked, "Why do even think I might have a problem with it?"

"Well.." he said, "I know you are a Vietnam Veteran, and I have heard that a lot of you guy's smoke pot. I was just giving you a heads up."

He really pissed me off with that comment!

I was mad as hell, because here I was being judged again.......just because I was a Vietnam Veteran!

So I told him this story.......

When I got out of the Army in 1973 I had a job interview at a manufacturing company in Indiana.

The guy that offered me the job told me that I would have to take a drug test before he would hire me.

I asked him why...(keep in mind that this 1973, and nobody else required it back then, not even insurance companies)

He told me it was because I was a Vietnam Veteran, and "he just wanted to make sure, because he heard that a lot of us were doing drugs!"

So I took the drug test, and I passed.

He called me back in, and said "I was hired, because I passed the drug test."

I told him to "take his job and shove it up his ass!"

Then he got pissed....he told me "I spent 80 dollars of the companies money for your drug test!"

I just told him, "Good, you spent 80 dollars to find out that not all Vietnam Veterans are drug users....maybe you will learn a lesson from that!

 

[tele_mark]

Frigging awesome !

Swyped from my Droid X

 

[In God We Trust]

SkySoldier, I would take the question he asked you as a sign of respect. He cared enough about you to ask where you stood. I know a few Nam vets. (my cousin was killed there in 69') and some of them do some pot. I assume he is a young guy that does not know whats up and was just keeping you in the loop. No offense intended, and thanks for your service.

Give the kid a chance before you make a necklace out of his ears, brother!

 

[dustoff22]

SkySoldier, I would take the question he asked you as a sign of respect. He cared enough about you to ask where you stood. I know a few Nam vets. (my cousin was killed there in 69') and some of them do some pot. I assume he is a young guy that does not know whats up and was just keeping you in the loop. No offense intended, and thanks for your service.

Give the kid a chance before you make a necklace out of his ears, brother!

With all due respect IGWT, I know plenty of Vietnam Vets and yes, "some" do pot as well. I think what Skysoldier is saying is that the media did a wonderful job of virtually making ALL Vietnam Veterans potheads, dopeheads, likely murderers, and just plain losers. Unfortunately, for the uninformed, much of their blather seemed to be accepted by the general public. Statistics would show otherwise.

I have to think that most every Vietnam Veteran has been painted with that stigma. Sometimes correct but mostly incorrect.

To me, the label is offensive.

 

[namedpipes]

SkySoldier, I would take the question he asked you as a sign of respect. He cared enough about you to ask where you stood. I know a few Nam vets. (my cousin was killed there in 69') and some of them do some pot. I assume he is a young guy that does not know whats up and was just keeping you in the loop. No offense intended, and thanks for your service.

I know a LOT of people that smoke pot and only a couple were ever even IN the service, never mind that era.

As a member of an oppressed minority (a gun owner) you should be even more aware that guilt by association is nothing more than bigotry.

 

[EOD]

Outstanding story SkySoldier! It's good to know that people still stand up for themselves.

 

[Jamie]

So Skysoldier....got any pot?

j/k

If I were you I'd have told the boss to go eat a big bowl of brown.

 

[Gadsden]

Heh.. awesome story!
Sounds like the other guy's heart is in the right place, but his head is not. He is stupidly judging you, but values you enough to make sure you don't get burned.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

What's wrong with smoking pot? Jack.

 

[dwarven1]

What's wrong with smoking pot? Jack.

It comes from a plant that would have made Randolph Hearst's investment in softwoods worthless? It comes from a plant that can be used to make better rope than DuPont's new (back in the 30's) synthetics useless?

Other than that... nothing that I can see.

 

[Recono]

It comes from a plant that would have made Randolph Hearst's investment in softwoods worthless? It comes from a plant that can be used to make better rope than DuPont's new (back in the 30's) synthetics useless?

Other than that... nothing that I can see.

It creates technical problems with the 4473. It means you are not going to be employed by the CIA, and maybe not even by the military. Some people believe that long-term use correlates with lack of achievement. Whether that is a causal relationship is not (to me) clear. It has some of the dangers of other drugs, but probably not as many or as severe. Other than that, nothing that I can see.

 

[Boghog1]

I never thought of veitnam vets as pot smokers, I thought the ones smoking the pot where the ones running to Canada and spitting on the soldiers when they returned. how is it that the hippies are the ones currently being thought of as being clean?

 

[Windwalker]

Good story, Skysoldier. Thanks.